Every NBA Finals rotation player, ranked for Thunder vs. Pacers series

04/06/2025 14:00

Let's rank the best players in the 2025 NBA Finals.

The 2025 NBA Finals is a classic matchup of an elite offense vs. a historic defense. The Indiana Pacers vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder might not be the series anyone would have expected at the start of the season, but it should provide a thrilling NBA Finals showdown anyway.

The Thunder were a popular preseason pick to win the West. OKC was the No. 1 seed in the conference last season before getting eliminated in round two by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on their way to the NBA Finals. The Thunder took the next step this year with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander growing into the MVP, and young co-stars Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams blossoming as two-way forces. The Thunder have one of the best defenses in league history, and they're ready to try to put the clamps on Indiana's high-powered offense.

The Pacers live up to their name in every way. Indiana is one of the league leaders in pace, pushing the tempo to new heights with Tyrese Haliburton leading their attack. Haliburton's ability to avoid turnovers while getting his team running hard every possessions is a unique skill that has fueled Indiana's success. Pascal Siakam has become a perfect secondary star for this team with his relentless dedication to running the floor and crafty creation skills when the game slows down. The Pacers' role players like Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith have been a revelation on this run, and they will need to play better than ever for Indy to have a chance.

Our old friend Tom Ziller once ranked the best players in the 2016 NBA Finals on this site. (subscribe to Good Morning It's Basketball). Let's do it again for 2025. Here's our ranking of the best players in Thunder vs. Pacers series.

17. Isaiah Joe, G, Thunder

Joe is the lone shooting specialist in the rotation for the Thunder. He was a masterful pickup off waivers from the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2022, and he's lived up to his billing as a knockdown shooter by hitting 41.2 percent of his threes in 225 career regular season games with OKC. Joe has seen his minutes cut a bit in the playoffs, but if the Thunder find themselves in a shootout with Indy, his quick trigger and ability to maximize spacing around the 'big three' could come in handy.

16. Bennedict Mathurin, G, Pacers

Mathurin was the first top-10 pick for the Pacers since 1989. It's easy to see why he was so highly touted coming out of Arizona with an ideal mix of length, athletic explosiveness, and shooting for an off-guard. He's developed into a solid bench scorer for Indiana this season, and he had a couple big performances in the Eastern Conference Finals to help get them here. Mathurin will need to improve his awareness on both ends of the court and his defensive intensity if he wants to take the next step in his career.

15. TJ McConnell, G, Pacers

McConnell is a modern miracle. He's carved out a long NBA career for himself despite being undersized (he's listed at 6'1) and a non-shooter from deep. Now in his 10th season, McConnell has had some big-time moments in this playoff run with eight games where he scored in double-figures. He's generally been a high-turnover guard throughout this career (18.7 career turnover rate), and he'll have to take care of the ball well to have any place in this series.

14. Aaron Wiggins, F, Thunder

Wiggins was a true hidden gem for Thunder executive Sam Presti. Taken with one of the final selections in the second round of the 2021 draft, Wiggins developed into a solid defender before taking a bigger offensive leap this season. He's a career 39 percent three-point shooter, and showed a new ability to attack off the bounce this year, leading to the first double-figures scoring season of his career. Wiggins hasn't done much in the playoffs, but finding a two-way player on a cost-controlled contract (Presti locked him up on a descending $47 million deal) is another example of OKC's masterful team-building.

13. Obi Toppin, F, Pacers

Toppin parlayed his college stardom at Dayton into being the No. 8 pick in the 2020 draft by the Knicks. His arrival coincided with Julius Randle's emergence, so he never really got a shot to show what he could do in New York. The Pacers picked up him up for two second round picks on the last year of his rookie deal, and turned him into one of the best bench forwards in the league. Toppin's ability to run the floor makes him a perfect fit for Indiana's high-octane offense, and he's become a pretty good shooter, too. Having a player like Toppin off the bench is a big reason why the Pacers' depth is so well-regarded.

12. Cason Wallace, G, Thunder

Wallace was a personal favorite of mine coming out of Kentucky in the 2023 draft, and he's been a perfect fit on the Thunder to start his career. A strong 6'3 guard, Wallace is known for his physical on-ball defense, but he also has some shooting and playmaking skills. It would be fascinating to see what he could do with a bigger role, but for now Wallace is an overqualified role player who leaves a big imprint on winning.

11. Andrew Nembhard, G, Pacers

Finding Nembhard with the first pick in the second round in the 2022 draft out of Gonzaga was a masterstroke by the Pacers. He's remade himself from a pure point guard to a gritty defender, and he made Jalen Brunson work for everything he got in the Eastern Conference Finals. Nembhard has taken his game to a new level in the playoffs the last two seasons, particularly as a shooter. He's a career 33 percent three-point shooter during the regular season, but that somehow goes up to 48 percent when he's in the playoffs. Nembhard will draw the Gilgeous-Alexander assignment for long stretches in this series, and he's got his work cut out for him.

10. Aaron Nesmith, F, Pacers

Nesmith's emergence into a legit 3-and-D wing is a big reason why the Pacers are in the Finals. Indiana plucked the former lottery pick out of Boston in the Malcolm Brogdon trade, and he immediately regained his outside shooting stroke and developed into a gritty defender against big guards and wings. The Pacers probably don't make the Finals without Nesmith exploding for eight threes against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, including three in the final minute of the fourth quarter. He's going to split his time between guarding SGA and Jalen Williams in this series, and Indiana better hope he's no longer hobbled by an ankle sprain he suffered last round.

9. Isaiah Hartenstein, C, Thunder

Hartenstein never puts up big numbers or plays heavy minutes, but he's carved out a long and lucrative NBA career by doing all the little things to help his teams win. The Thunder were a terrible rebounding team until signing Hartenstein over the summer, and he immediately made an impact in that area. He was the best insurance policy possible when Chet Holmgren went down with a pelvic fracture, keeping the Thunder's elite defense afloat with his paint protection and helping grease the wheels of the offense with his passing and play finishing. Hartenstein has already done his job by playing a crucial role in playoff series against the Nuggets and Timberwolves' physical front lines this year. He'll continue to be good in his role even if it isn't quite as big against a smaller and faster Pacers team in the NBA Finals.

8. Lu Dort, G, Thunder

Dort earned All-Defense honors for the first time in his career this season, and it felt long overdue. The 6'5 wing is built like an NFL linebacker, and he plays with just as much physicality and intensity on the defensive end. Dort's excellent on-ball defense will take on a starring role in the Finals as he draws the Tyrese Haliburton assignment. He does an amazing job walling off drivers, and refusing to cede an inch of ground when he's locked in defensively. His offense can be a little hit or miss, but when his moon ball threes are falling, the Thunder look unbeatable.

7. Myles Turner, C, Pacers

Turner has had remarkable longevity with the Pacers for a player who has seen his name pop up in trade rumors ad nauseam since entering the league. He's no longer a premier defensive center like he once was, but Turner has only gotten better as a shooter in recent years, which has unlocked Indiana's five-out lineups. Turner's 10 seasons with the Pacers only trails Stephen Curry and Draymond Green (Warriors), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), and Joel Embiid (76ers) among active players. It's been wonderful to see Turner reinvent himself as the Pacers oriented around Haliburton. He's about to be pushed to the extreme on both ends against OKC.

6. Alex Caruso, G, Thunder

The Thunder committed highway robbery by prying Caruso away from the Chicago Bulls for only Josh Giddey. OKC knew it could keep Caruso on ice for most of the regular season, and that has kept him healthy for this playoff run. It was Caruso who slowed down Nikola Jokic in Game 7, and Caruso who guarded both Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards in the conference finals. He might be one of the best per-minute NBA defenders of all-time, and he's in prime position to play a key role on a championship team for the second time in his career.

5. Jalen Williams, G, Thunder

Williams' meteoric rise into one of the best wings in the NBA during his third season has helped make the Thunder a juggernaut. The 24-year-old wing is absolutely massive with a jacked frame and 7'2 wingspan, and he uses those tools to impose his will on both ends of the floor. Williams doesn't have many holes in his game: he can burn the defense off the dribble, stroke spot-up threes, and take on a variety of defensive assignments while knowing when to gamble for a steal. If he plays at his best level offensively, the Thunder can't be beat.

4. Chet Holmgren, C/F, Thunder

Holmgren is already one of the best bigs in the NBA, and he's just starting to scratch the surface of his long-term potential. Holmgren might look skinny, but he's a dominant rim protector with his length (7'6 wingspan) and impeccable hand-eye coordination. He might be the best three-point shooter of any dominant shot-blocker in the league with a 38 percent three-point stroke, and he's always ready to pump fake and attack a closeout with power off the bounce. Holmgren is the backline of the Thunder's historically good defense while also allowing them to play five-out on offense. The term 'unicorn' is overused, but Holmgren actually is one.

3. Pascal Siakam, F, Pacers

The third spot was the toughest to figure out in these rankings with Holmgren and Williams each having a strong case. Ultimately, I settled on Siakam for his ability to plug every hole for the Pacers while also accentuating their greatest strength. Siakam was a hand-in-glove fit in the Pacers' high-tempo offense, and he's feasted on run outs throughout the playoffs. When the game settles down into the halfcourt, the veteran forward can also provide technical one-and-one scoring ability with his herky-jerky driving style and soft touch. The Pacers' defense improved dramatically upon his arrival, too. Siakam already has one championship ring from his days in the Toronto, and just getting to these NBA Finals stamps him as one of the truly great No. 2 options of this generation.

2. Tyrese Haliburton, G, Pacers

Haliburton has remade the Pacers in his image from the moment they acquired him in a brilliant trade with the Sacramento Kings. The 25-year-old point guard is single-handedly responsible for engineering an Indiana offense that pushes the tempo to the extreme while also rarely turning the ball over. Haliburton isn't just one of the game's most brilliant passers, he's also a deadly pull-up shooter from three and one of the most clutch players in the league. His ability to throw crosscourt passes that don't end in turnovers is a truly special skill, and it's a big reason why he's turned into an elite offensive engine fueling Indiana's success.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Thunder

Gilgeous-Alexander is the best guard in the NBA, and he's just getting started on what has the potential to be a legendary run. The 26-year-old won NBA MVP this season after finishing second last season and fifth the year before that. He's an impossibly talented offensive scorer with a relentless dedication to getting to his spots and the the size (6'6 with a 7-foot wingspan) to shoot over most defenders. SGA has the ball on a string as a handler, and he's equally great at draining shots from mid-range or slithering all the way to the rim for a layup. He's also one of the best foul drawers in the sport, and he's good at preventing turnovers. This is one of the truly great isolation scorers of the last 25 years. SGA is putting up hyper-efficient 30+ point per game seasons every year at this point, all while being an active part of a historically great defense. The Pacers don't have anyone who can slow down Gilgeous-Alexander, and that's why the Thunder are a big favorite in this series.